This invention relates to mailer envelope sheets which may be separate from or included in a brochure, catalog, booklet, binder or the like.
It has previously been proposed to include return mailer envelopes in brochures, see R. E. Katz U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,696 granted Apr. 18, 1978. However, the ""696 envelope sheet has certain drawbacks. For example, it has an envelope portion which is double thickness, while the remainder of the sheet is a single thickness of paper. For stacking and printing on sheets of paper, it is important that the paper be of uniform thickness to provide regular stacking and to avoid jamming of the copier. In addition, the ""696 patent has exposed adhesive which could be activated under high humidity or damp conditions. With exposed activated adhesive, sheets may stick together and laser or ink jet printers may jam or become contaminated.
Prior art return mailer envelope assemblies also fail to adequately protect the envelope during printing, binding and transportation. In prior art assemblies, envelope edges and corners are exposed and can become caught in machinery and bent or torn. Also, the envelope can take on a worn appearance after repeated flipping-through of the article such as a catalog, booklet or brochure into which it is bound.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an envelope sheet assembly which has no exposed adhesive, and which will readily feed through high speed printers without jamming or contamination. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an envelope sheet assembly in which the outside edges and corners of the envelope are protected. The assembly is adapted for inclusion in a brochure, magazine or the like, but may also be used separately from such bound articles.
In one illustrative embodiment of the invention, the envelope sheet assembly is formed of three sheets and is of substantially uniform thickness for high speed printing. The envelope sheet assembly includes top, intermediate and base sheets of paper held together by adhesive. Perforations passing through the top and intermediate sheets form an envelope having a front layer formed from the top sheet and a back layer formed from the intermediate sheet. The back layer has inner and outer surfaces. The top, intermediate and base sheets of paper are of substantially the same size. A die-cut, with optional spaced ties, strikes through the base sheet and intermediate layer, forming a scored envelope sealing flap from the front layer of the envelope and a flap liner strip from the back layer of the envelope (intermediate assembly layer). A release coating is provided on the outer surface of the back layer and is aligned with a pressure sensitive adhesive layer on the surface of the base sheet so that the back layer removably adheres to the base sheet. A coating layer is provided on the inner surface of the back layer along the flap liner strip and is aligned with pressure sensitive adhesive areas on the envelope flap so that the flap liner removably adheres to the envelope flap. An adhesion region free of release material is located on the outer surface of the back layer adjacent to the flap liner for permitting adhesion of the flap to the outer surface of the back layer when sealing the envelope. The adhesion region is preferably substantially free of the silicone release material on the outer surface of the back layer. The adhesive layer on the surface of the base sheet substantially ends at the region of the base sheet aligned with the adhesion region. The envelope is permanently sealed along the bottom and two sides by adhesive on the front layer and inner surface of the back layer. When the envelope is to be closed by the user, the flap liner strip formed in the intermediate layer is stripped off and the adhesive coated flap is folded down onto the adhesion region of the back of the envelope.
The envelope sheet assembly preferably includes an envelope with a length greater than 8xc2xd inches and a width greater than 4 inches for conveniently receiving a standard 8xc2xdxc3x9711 inches or an A-4 sheet folded three times. It is noted that these dimensions are for standard size 8xc2xd inches by 11 inches, or A-4, sheets included in brochures, and for brochures or the like having different dimensions, the two layer envelope assembly would be correspondingly modified in its dimensions. As noted above, the envelope assembly can also be used stand-alone, without a brochure or the like.
The sheet assembly may also include one or more of the following additional features: (1) an envelope which is approximately 11 inches long; (2) the envelopes may be approximately 4 inches to 5 inches in height; (3) the individual sheets making up the three layer sheet assembly may be formed of fairly lightweight paper so that the sheets may be semi-translucent or semi-transparent; and (4) the inside surfaces of the envelope may be provided with a printed pattern to preclude reading enclosures through the envelope.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and from the accompanying drawings.